Occurrence and molecular characterization of Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis isolates from contaminated food samples from Palestine

Salmonella is one of the most frequently isolated foodborne pathogens. It is of major public health concern worldwide. Poultry meat and eggs represent an important source of Salmonellae organism for consumer health. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium and Enteritidis using multiplex PCR (mPCR) among isolates collected from the local market and to assess genetic relationships between isolates of S. Typhimurium, which was the only serotype isolated from the tested food samples. This was done using virulence factors profiling and fingerprint profiling by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR) and repetitive sequence PCR (REP-PCR) using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC-PCR) and interspersed repetitive DNA sequence BOXAIR-PCR. The overall occurrence percentage of S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis out of 51 isolates was 54.9% and 0.0%, respectively. Only 13 out of 17 virulence genes were detected in these isolates. The occurrence of the detected virulence genes among these isolates was 100%, 50.0%,46.4%, 39.3%, 35.7%, 35.7%, 32.1%, 25.0%, 25.0%, 17.6%, 14.3%, 14.3%, 3.6% for invA, sopB, prgH, sitC, pefA, tolC, cdtB, msgA, sifA, iroN, spiA, ipfC and pagC, respectively. The remaining virulence genes were absent in all of the isolates. Based on the combination of the presence and absence of virulence genes, eight profiles were detected among these isolates, the most common genetic profile was V5 (each 32.1%). Based on this genetic profile at cut-off point 96.0%, both ERIC and BOX primers allowed for discrimination into 4 and 6 clusters or clones of 16 S. Typhimurium isolates, respectively. Results of PCR typing methods showed that, three strains clustered together using both ERIC-PCR and BOX-PCR typing methods and they had the same virulotype (V1), while other four strains also clustered together by both typing methods and had the same virulotype (V8). Contamination of food with Salmonellae especially with S. Typhimurium was high and indicated a bad microbiological quality of food. This emphasizes the need for rigorous public health and food safety methods to lower the human health hazard and risk associated with Salmonellae infection

A systematic review of frequency and geographic distribution of water-borne parasites in the Middle East and North Africa

Background: Water-borne parasitic infections are caused by pathogenic parasites found in water. These parasites are often not well-monitored or reported, therefore, there is an underestimation of their prevalence. Aims: We systemically reviewed the prevalence and epidemiology of water-borne diseases in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region, which has a population of about 490 million people distributed over 20 independent countries. Methods: Online scientific databases, mainly PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE were searched for the main water-borne parasitic infections in MENA countries during 1990–2021. Results: The main parasitic infections were cryptosporidiosis, amoebiasis, giardiasis, schistosomiasis, and toxocariasis. Cryptosporidiosis was the most frequently reported. Most of the published data were from Egypt, the country with the highest population in MENA. Conclusions: Water-borne parasites are still endemic in many MENA countries, however, their incidence has reduced dramatically due to the control and eradication programmes in countries that could afford such programmes, some with external support and funding.</jats:p

The Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Native Dogs in Palestine

Background: Dogs play an important role in transmission of parasites and zoonotic diseases, especially in developing countries. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of internal parasites in stray and pet dogs in Palestine.&#x0D; Methods: Fecal samples were collected during the period between Jan to May 2019. A total of 150 fecal samples were collected and tested for parasites using sedimentation and flotation techniques. The targeted dogs were both pet dogs and stray dogs and were grouped according to gender and age.&#x0D; Results: Although there was no significant difference in infestation between males and females, the prevalence rate of infestation in males was 63.1% compared to females 72.4%. Dogs of ages under one year had similar rate of infestation compared to older dogs with a rate of 67.3% and 67.4% respectively. Infestations were significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) in stray dogs 81.4% compared to pet dogs 48.4%. The highest infestation rate was with Toxocara canis 46.0% followed by Dipylidium caninum 23.0%, Echinococcus spp. 14.0% ,Isosopora canis  9.0%, Ancylostoma caninum 8.0%, Giarda spp. 5.0%, Strongyloides spp. 4.0%, Trichuris vulpis 3.0%, and Cryptosporidium spp. 3.0%.&#x0D; Conclusion: Local dogs in Palestine, especially stray dogs, are infested with different types of intestinal parasites that may cause many common and non-common diseases to humans. To prevent the spread of these parasites, future public health should be proposed and applied by authorities to achieve a healthy status of the residents in the country. Health awareness spread among people about the seriousness of the diseases transmitted by dogs must also be activated.</jats:p

Molecular characterization of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from broiler farms in Northern Palestinian territories

Background and Aim: Colibacillosis is caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), which results in significant losses for the poultry sector. It has zoonotic potential and acts as a source of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes for other E. coli. This study aimed to assess phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and resistance phenotypes of APEC strains isolated from broiler farms in Northern Palestine. Materials and Methods: A total of 65 APEC isolates were recovered from diseased chickens with typical colibacillosis symptoms from broiler farms located in the northern region of Palestine from May to July 2024. Strains were identified using classical and molecular techniques. Antibiotic resistance was detected using the disk diffusion method. Phylotyping and virulence genotyping of the APEC isolates were performed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: This study showed a high detection rate of APEC strains (100%) in chickens. The most APEC strains, 56/65 (86.2%), belonged to group D. Other strains were assigned to groups B2 (5/65, 7.7%), B1 (3/65, 4.6%), and A (1/65, 1.5%). Antibiotic resistance ranged from 27.7% for Polymyxin E (colistin) to 100% for Amoxicillin. Polymyxin E (colistin) and fosfomycin are the most effective drugs. The most common virulence gene was iroN, which was detected in 61 isolates (93.8%). The APEC strains in Palestine exhibit a wide variety of resistance patterns and genetic variations. Conclusion: Controlling APEC infections is essential for public health, especially when APEC isolates can pass on resistance and virulence genes to dangerous bacteria such as E. coli that are particular to humans. It is essential to understand APEC pathogenesis, antimicrobial therapy, and the development of measures to control colibacillosis